Separating method and apparatus



Sept. 16, 1969 A. musscsl-loor- I 3,457,594

SEPARATING METHOD AND APPARATUS med Nov. 17, 196e 2 sheets-sheet 1 l I0% Sm tmSE xom :m35 maia. Qmmm T. im T AN 528mm 5 uw Y w Mw fll V e m ,wILL S28 uzmkssmn I www @mi 1 AKWPN@ Sept. 16, 1969 A. MusscHooTSEPARATING METHOD AND APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 17. 1966United States Patent O 3,467,594 SEPARATING METHOD AND APPARATUS AlbertMusschoot, Barrington, Ill., assignor to General Kinematics Corporation,a corporation of Illinois Filed Nov. 17, 1966, Ser. No. 595,061 Int. Cl.B03b 3/26 U.S. Cl. 209-426 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE 'There isdisclosed an apparatus and method for separating materials on the basisof their specic gravities. The material to be separated is supported on@foraminous bed, one end of which is immersed in a liquid. A current ofthe liquid is caused to llow upwardly through the bed while at the sametime the bed is giving a conveyong action tending to convey the materialtoward the upper end thereof. The effect of the current is to causelighter materials (but of a specific gravity greater than the liquid) tomove by gravity toward the lower end of the bed while the heaviermaterials are conveyed toward the upper end. Material having a specificgravity less than that of the liquid may be floated off by means of acontinuous overflow.

This invention relates to separating methods and apparatus and moreparticularly to apparatus for separating materials of different specificgravities.

It is a general object of the present invention to produce new andimproved separating apparatus and methods of the character described.

It is a more specific object of the invention to produce methods andapparatus which combine a vibratory conveying action with a liquidflotation and current creating system to produce separation of particleshaving specific gravities greater than the liquid by the combinedinteraction of gravity, the liquid current, and the vibratory conveyingaction.

While it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that theprinciples of the present invention have application in many fields,they will be shown and hereinafter described as used in a process forseparating nonferrous metals from ferrous metals in a metal reclaimingoperation.

Junked automobiles contain a good deal of valuable metal. To reclaimsuch metal, it has been common practice to crush junked cars (afterremoval of the engine block and wheels) into a small cubical body whichis then used by the steel industry for conversion into new steel. Assuch cubes of metal contain both ferrous and non-ferrous metals, thequality of steel so produced is relatively poor. Accordingly, newmethods have been devised for reclaiming the metal, one of the morerecent being an apparatus which is in the form of a large and powerfulhammer mill, and which in a matter of seconds reduces a junked car tosmall particles, the largest of which is usually not much more than aninch in its longest dimension. Particles so formed can be separated intoferrous and non-ferrous groups by the use of magnetic separators and thereclaimed ferrous metal may be used in the manufacture of steel toproduce a much higher quality steel.

Such methods, of course, do not separate the non-ferrous metals from therest of the materials including glass, plastic, etc., making up the bodyof a junked car, and such non-ferrous metals (zinc and the like) haveasubstantial value. Yet, prior to the date of the present invention,there has been no eilicient or economical way of separating suchnon-ferrous metals from the rest of the non-ferrous materials found in aused car body.

The present invention provides apparatus and methods ice for recoveringthe valuable non-ferrous metals through the combined action of aninclined vibratory conveyor and the action of a current of liquid, theparticles to be separated being initially immersed in the liquid duringthe course of the separation process.

For a complete understanding of the apparatus and methods of thisinvention, attention is directed to the folling description and drawing,in which:

FIG. l is in the nature of a loW diagram illustrating the separatingprocess;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the vibrator and liquidcontainer apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3 3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken along line 4 4 of FIG. 3.

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many differentforms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described indetail a specific embodiment with the understanding that the presentdisclosure is to be considered as an exemplication of the principles ofthe invention and is not intended to limit the invention to theembodiment illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed outin the appended claims.

As previously indicated, the methods ,and apparatus of the presentinvention are particularly designed for use in conjunction with a hammermill or hammer knife type of junked car disintegrator which reduces carsto particles of a size something of the order of an inch or less. Theseparticles are dropped into a transfer feeder 10 which may be a vibratoryconveyor which feeds the material to a magnetic drum separator 11 Whichseparates the ferrous metals from the other Various materials anddelivers them to a classifier 12. The classifier may also be a vibratoryconveyor having a screen bottom and the smaller particles drop throughonto conveyor 13 while the larger particles are carried onto theconveyor 14 to be recycled through the disintegrator. The non-ferrousmetals drop to the Screener conveyor 15 and the line particles falltherethrough to a transfer conveyor 16 which transfers the small andhence unusable particles to trash boxes 17. The larger non-ferrouspieces are delivered to a pair of primary separators 18 and 19. Thepurpose of the primary separators is to separate the lighter non-ferrousmaterial (such as plastics and the like) as well as floating materials(upholstery) from heavier non-ferrous materials which are sought to berecovered. While the details of operation of the primary separators willbe described more fully hereinafter, suffice it to say that they arepartially immersed in liquid (water) in a liquid containers 20 suppliedwith a constant llow of water through pipe and valving 21. Lightermaterials lloat on the surface of the water and are carried thereby toan overflow. Water overflowing the separator passes through pipe 22 to adewatering screen conveyor 23. As Will be pointed out in detailhereinafter, some of the heavier-than-water material sinks to the bottomof the container and is delivered by a primary sinks pump 24 to thedewatering conveyor 23. Water dripping through the conveyor drops intosumps 25 and 26 for reuse in the primary and secondary separators whilethe dewatered material is conveyed into the trash boxes 17. The primaryseparators 18 and 19 deliver the balance of the heavier-than-watermaterial to a secondary separator 28 constructed vsimilarly to theprimary separators but being one unit rather than a double unit, withthe secondary separator 28 being partially immersed in water in thecontainer 29, the container being supplied with water through line 30,with floating material being floated over an edge of the container intoa float sump 31 and delivered therefrom by the pump 32 to the dewateringconveyor 23, while some of the heavier-than-Water material falling tothe bottom of the container 29 is delivered by the pump 33 to saiddewatering conveyor. Material delivered by the secondary conveyor 28 toconveyor line 34 is subjected to a further magnetic screening by themagnetic separator 35 to pick up any ferrous metal that may still beleft in the material while the remainder is delivered into thenon-ferrous product box 36.

The foregoing generally describes the operation of the apparatus andprocess. 'I'he details of the important parts of the system, and themanner in which heavier-than-water material is separated into metallicand non-metallic particles follows.

Referring to FIGS. 2-4, there s illustrated the primary separators 18and 19 which are similar in many respects to the vibratory conveyorconstruction shown in Musschoot et al. Patent 3,089,582, with theexception that no air bags for adjusting the rate of feed are used. Thevibratory conveyors comprise an electric motor 40 carried by means ofdisk-shaped rubber bushings 41 to an outrigger section 42 fixed to thesides 43 and 44 of a conveyor trough 45. The bottom 50 of each trough isinclined upwardly from right to left as shown, except for an initialportion 51 which is substantially horizontal. The trough bottoms 50 and51 are constructed as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 of a plurality of tie rods52. extending parallel to each other lengthwise of the trough andsupporting a plurality of spaced tri-rods 53 which extend normal to thelongitudinal axis of the trough. The tri-rods 53 (which are rodstriangular in cross section) are separated from each other so as toprovide spaces 54 therebetween, which spaces, it will be noted, narrowin an upward direction.

Each of the vibratory conveyors is supported by means of brackets 55 and56 from an overhead support. A spring is provided in the supportingconnection so as to provide a spring system of low natural frequencyserving as an isolation mounting for the conveyors so that vibratoryaction thereof is not conveyed to the building.

Materials are delivered to the primary separators 18 and 19 from thetransfer conveyor 15 through the medium of a hopper 57, the materialfalling initially on a foraminous shelf 58 which, by the vibratoryaction of the conveyor, feeds the material onto the dat portion 51 ofthe bottom of the trough.

When the motor 40 is operated, an eccentric weight 60 carried therebycauses the trough to vibrate generally along the path indicated by thearrow 61. Such vibratory movement tends to move particles on the bottomof the trough from right to left toward the upper end of the trough.'Ihe vertical component of such motion also causes the tri-rods 53 tocause those portions of the tri-rods 53 which are immersed in theliquid, i.e., are below the liquid level 62, to act as pumps. The factthat the spaces 54 narrow upwardly causes water surrounding the tie rodsto be forced upwardly through the spaces 54 and outwardly into thegeneral body of liquid in the container 20. As water is constantly beingsupplied to the container 20, a portion 63 overows over the edge 64 andany oating material emptied into the trough `45 is carried by thecurrent thus created over the edge 64 and into the pipe 22. Lighterweight non-ferrous material (such as plastic and the like) having aspecific gravity greater than water is, in effect, reduced in weight byvirtue of the fact that such particles are exposed to the current ofwater generated and flowing upwardly through the spaces 54. Theireffective weight is reduced to the point where the conveying action ofthe trough, i.e., its vibratory movement in the direction of the arrow61 is insufiicient to overcome the effects of the current, and thus suchlighter weight material is carried by the current to the right (as shownin FIG. 2) :and is discharged over the end 65 of the trough to fall intothe container 20 and to be discharged therefrom by the sinks pump 24.The current materials, which are urged against the bottom of the troughby gravity with suliicient force in spite of the current so as to besubjected to and governed by vibratory action of the conveyor, and hencetravel therealong in a right to left direction and are eventuallydischarged over the end 66 thereof into the conveyor for discharge intothe secondary separator. In the secondary separator, the process justdescribed is repeated, the single vibratory separator 28 being in allrespects like the separators 18 and 19 just described. Y

Summarizing the foregoing, it can be seen that the material, afterremoval of the ferrous metals, is dropped into the liquid filledcontainer 20 and the floating materials are carried ofr' over the edgeof the container by the constant ow of liquid therein. Theheavier-than-water materials drop toward the bottom of the trough to besubjected Vto the action of a current of water owing upwardly throughsuch bottom, the velocity of the current being so arranged thatmaterials below a certain specific gravity (but greater than thespecific gravity of water) are carried by the current outwardly of thetrough while the heavier materials overcome the elfect of the current soas to contact the bottom of the trough and be conveyed thereby to acollecting point. By reason of the foregoing system, valuablenon-ferrous metals such as zinc, etc., may be collected, while othernon-ferrous materials such as plastics are discarded.

I claim:

1. Separating apparatus comprising a liquid container, a vibratoryconveyor having a foraminous trough mounted in an inclined position tolocate the discharge end of the trough above the level of liquid in thecontainer and to locate the opposite end of the trough below said liquidlevel, means for vibrating the trough along a path inclined to thehorizontal to move material thereon toward said discharge end, thevertical component of the trough vibration creating a current in theliquid in the container, said current flowing upwardly through thesubmerged end of the trough, said current having a velocity such as tocause lighter non-floating material to move toward the lower end of thetrough while retaining heavier non-floating material on the trough to beconveyed thereby to the discharge end.

2. Separating apparatus comprising a liquid container, a vibratoryconveyor having a foraminous trough mounted in an inclined position tolocate the discharge end of the trough above the level of liquid in thecontainer and to locate the opposite end of the trough below said liquidlevel, means for vibrating the trough along a path inclined to thehorizontal to move material thereon toward said discharge end, thevertical component of the trough vibration creating a current in theliquid in the container, said current flowing upwardly through thesubmerged end of the trough, means for continuously adding liquid to thecontainer to cause liquid therein to ow outwardly over an edge of thecontainer to carry floating materials therewith, said current having avelocity such as to cause lighter non-oating material to move toward thelower end of the trough while retaining heavier nonfloating material onthe trough to be conveyed thereby to the discharge end.

3. Separating apparatus comprising a liquid container,

a vibratory conveyor having a foraminous trough mounted in an inclinedposition to locate the discharge end of the trough above the level ofliquid in the container and to locate the opposite end of the troughbelow said liquid level, means for vibrating the trough along a pathinclined to the horizontal to move material thereon toward saiddischarge end, said foraminous trough comprising spaced particlesupports with the space bet-Ween supports narrowing in an upwardlydirection whereby vibratory movement of said trough causes said supportsto act as pumps to create a current owing upwardly through the submergedend of the trough, said current having a velocity such as to causelighter non-floating material to move toward the lower end of the troughwhile retaining heavier non-floating material on the trough to beconveyed thereby to the discharge end, means for continuously addingliquid to the container to cause the liquidtherein to ow outwardly overan edge of the container to carry floating material therewith, and meansfor introducing particles to be separated onto the sub merged end of thetrough.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 in which said particle supports compriserods having a triangular cross section.

5. Separating apparatus comprising a liquid container, a vibratoryconveyor having a foraminous trough mounted in an inclined position tolocate the discharge end of the trough above the level of liquid in thecontainer and to locate the opposite end of the trough below said liquidlevel, means for vibrating the trough along a path inclined to thehorizontal to move material thereon toward said discharge end, saidforaminous trough cornprising spaced particle supports with the spacebetween supports narrowing in an upwardly direction whereby vibratorymovement of said trough causes said supports to act as pumps to create acurrent flowing upwardly through the submerged end of the trough, saidcurrent having a velocity such as to cause lighter non-oating materialto move toward the lower end of the trough while retaining heaviernon-oating material on the trough to be conveyed thereby to thedischarge end, means for removing said lighter non-floating materialfrom the bottom portion of said container, means for receiving saidheavier non-floating material discharged over the discharge end of saidtrough, means for continuously adding liquid to the container to causethe liquid therein to ow outwardly over an edge of the container tocarry iioating material therewith, and means for introducing particlesto be separated onto the submerged end of the trough.

6. The method of separating non-oating materials of different densitieswhich comprises, supporting the material on a foraminous upwardlyinclined bed one end of which is immersed in a body of liquid, vibratingthe bed along a path inclined toward the higher end thereof to create aconveying force tending to move particles toward the upper end of thebed and against the tendency of said particles to move by gravity towardthe lower end of said bed, the vertical component of the vibration ofthe bed creating a current in the liquid moving upwardly through thebed, the current having a velocity sutcient to overcome said conveyingforce to cause lighter nonfioating materials to move downwardly alongthe bed, with said current having insuiicient velocity to overcome theupwardly moving tendency of the bed vibration to cause heavier particlesto move toward the upper end of said bed.

7. The method of separating non-floating materials of differentdensities which comprises, supporting the material on a foraminousupwardly inclined bed one end of which is immersed in a body of liquid,vibrating the bed along a path inclined toward the higher end thereof tocreate a conveying force tending to move material toward the upper endof the bed and against the tendency of said materials to move by gravitytoward the lower end of said bed, the openings in the bed being formedto cause the same to act as a pump when said bed is vibrated to create acurrent in the liquid moving upwardly through the bed and thence overthe top of the bed, the current having a velocity sufficient to overcomethe upwardly moving tendency of the bed vibration, thereby to causelighter non-oating materials to move downwardly along the bed, -withsaid current having insuicient velocity to overcome said tendency tocause the heavier materials to move toward the upper end of said bed.

8. The method of separating particles of different densities whichcomprises, immersing the particles in a body of liquid having a lesserdensity than said particles, supporting the particles on an upwardlyinclined foraminous bed, subjecting the particles to an upwardly movingcurrent of said liquid passing through the bed while simultaneouslysubjecting the particles to a conveying movement toward the upper end ofthe bed, said current and conveying movement being generated byvibration of the bed along a path inclined toward the upper end of thebed, the velocity of the current so generated being such as to subjectparticles having a speciiic gravity greater than a predetermined valueto a current insuicient to overcome said conveyor movement to cause thesame to move upwardly along said bed, and to subject particles having alesser specific gravity to a current of sufficient velocity to overcomesaid conveying movement to cause the same to move downwardly along saidbed.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 17,272 10/ 1920 Lide 209-5001,786,739 12/1930 Davis 209--467 538,596- 4/1895 Pardee 209-4302,151,007 3/1939 Belknap 209-173 3,089,582 5/ 1963 Musschoot 198-2203,249,226 5/ 1966 Watson 209-172.5

FOREIGN PATENTS 825,504 12/ 1959 Great Britain.

FRANK W. LUTTER, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 209-12, 486

